There's a recent fitness trend that sees people switching from a traditional desk to working on a treadmill to maximize their physical activity. The problem is that at anything more vigorous than a casual stride, it's difficult to read a static display while on a treadmill. At least until researchers at Purdue University commercialize their new ReadingMate system.

The user wears a set of custom goggles featuring a set of invisible infrared LEDs, which are tracked by a camera near the monitor. The mostly vertical motion of the runner's head is then matched by the on-screen text which bobs up and down in unison, making even small text far easier to read. And besides making a workout at the gym even more productive, the system could benefit pilots, or heavy equipment operators who also rely on displays while they're being bounced about. [Purdue University via Gizmag]